Bell P-39 Airacobra 1/72 Scale Model

Soviet P-39Q - This is a model of a fighter that flew against the Luftwaffe on the Eastern Front in 1944. The P-39 was designed around a cannon, which required the gun to be mounted in the nose of the plane so it could absorb the recoil. This meant its inline Allison V-1710 engine had to be moved back behind the pilot. The U.S. Army anticipated the plane would be used for low-altitude ground support, so it directed that it should not have a turbocharger. This meant P-39s could not successfully dogfight with enemy fighters at high elevations. The first P-39s to see combat were Lend-Lease export versions built for the British, called P-400s. The British dubbed them Airacobra's and tried them out in October, 1941, but they were looking for a high-altitude fighter interceptor, so they rejected them and forwarded most of their order to the Soviets. P-39s first saw action with the U.S. Army in North Africa and the South Pacific in 1942. But because of the planes operational limitations, the majority of the approximately 9,500 P-39s the USA produced before production ended in 1944 were sent to the Soviets under the Lend-Lease program. In addition to the more than 200 Airacobras the British initially sent, the Soviets received about 4,850 more from the USA beginning in late 1942. The Soviets used the P-39 as a fighter plane, and it was successful in this role because the Eastern Front's tactical situation dictated that most air combat occurred at lower elevations. Also, the Soviets usually removed the plane's wing guns to improve the plane's agility. The P-63 Kingcobra was the successor to the P-39.

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